The Parents Television Council (PTC) has recently called on the chairman of the U.S. Senate and House Judiciary Committees and the Department of Justice to begin a child pornography investigation of MTV and its potential exploitation of underage individuals in connection with its new hit show "Skins." The PTC is a non-partisan organization that advocated responsible entertainment and many times argues companies to pull ads that are too racy. The organization sent a letter to the Viacom-owned cable network conveying that Skins "included all manner of foul language, illegal drug use, illegal activity as well as thoroughly pervasive sexual content. Moreover, future episodes promise much more of the same." Copies of this letter were also sent to Attorney General Eric Holder and the Federal Communications Committee Chair Julius Genachowski.
The show is a remake of a popular British show that has become a cult classic and is currently on its 5th season in the UK. "Skins follow a group of nine friends navigating the often-tumultuous world of high school, involving sex and drugs."
According to the New York Times, Viacom executives recently met to "discuss whether the show might violate federal law regarding the sexual depiction and presentation of minors and has compelled the producers of the show to make certain changes." The PTC is concerned with this show because many of the actors in the series are below the age of 18 and the organization wants to see if MTV is in fact violating any child pornography laws including:
- 18 U.S.C. § 1466A (2008) Obscene Visual Representations of the Sexual Abuse of Children
- 18 U.S.C. § 2251 (2008) Sexual Exploitation of Children
- 18 U.S.C. § 2252 (2008) Relating to Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors
- 18 U.S.C. § 2252A (2008) Relating to Material Constituting or Containing Child Pornography
More information on this case will become available as the investigation continues.
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